Stoking the Flame
by usa123
Summary: In ROTSS Johnny gets attacked by the Silver Surfer, drops from the sky, crashes into a wall of water, gets caught in a torna-Doom, assumes three additional powers and battles Victor by himself. Throughout all of this, he suffers no physical injuries. Yeah, I didn't think so either. Johnny!whump. All teammates present. No slash, no ships.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

**I know it's been a while since I last posted, but Real Life reared its ugly head and made sure I didn't have time to even think about writing. Sometime this summer, though, the **_**Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer**_** came on and I watched Johnny drop out of the atmosphere, taking a flying leap from the Baxter Building, collide with a wall of water, get caught in a torna-Doom and take on everyone's powers without any physical injuries. That was just a little too improbable for me. So, here's my take on the ending with a lot more Johnny!whump and some conversations I thought should have happened in the film.**

**To my NCIS readers: I'm super stoked (see what I did there?) for the Season 10 opener. I have this story and maybe another one for a different fandom to post, though, before I can get back to NCIS fics.**

**Thank you for all your support during this extended hiatus.**

**Now, on with the story!**

******Standard Disclaimer: **I do not own the Fantastic 4. Please don't sue.

* * *

"How is he doing?" Susan Storm asked softly, slipping past the guard outside the hospital room.

"Getting better," Reed Richards responded enthusiastically, flipping through Johnny's charts at the same time Ben Grimm grunted, "about the same."

Sue nodded, subconsciously absorbing the Reed's response, not really caring for Ben's.

She brushed past the two of them and claimed the chair next to Johnny's bed. The rage she had been bottling up for these last two days threatened to make a reappearance when she saw the heavy bruising along the left side of his face. The cheekbone was a deep purple, whether from Victor's fist or his fall, she still wasn't sure, but the swelling spread into his eye and down his cheek before settling on his jawbone where it culminated in a yellowish, black spectacle.

She breathed deeply for a moment, tamping down on the "Kill Victor" thoughts. She grabbed her brother's hand and held it between hers, gently rubbing her thumb in circles while carefully avoiding the IV.

It was cliché, she knew, to think this, but Johnny was never still. He had driven their parents crazy at a young age, always wanting to do this and that without stopping for breaks. They had hoped he would have grown out of it as he aged…That wasn't the case. Long hours at the park switched into endless bar-hopping while the insane tricycle tricks had graduated into Xtreme Games and motorcross events. No, Johnny never stopped, never slowed down. To see him like this was almost Sue's undoing.

_He will get better, _she chanted silently, as Ben and Reed took their respective places on Johnny's other side.

_He has to._

* * *

_50 hours ago…_

The wind whipped past Johnny Storm as he flew next to the Fantasticar in pursuit of Victor Von Doom. Even though the air was not particularly frigid, Johnny shrugged deeper into his flame, feeling phantom blasts of freezing wind brushing by his skin. Ever since his encounter with the Silver Surfer, his internal temperature had been…well, wonky. His temperature would flash between hot (even hotter than usual for him) and this ghostly cold. They didn't occur frequently, and usually passed fairly quickly. If anything, they were more annoying than worrisome...well, maybe just a little worrisome.

He grimaced as his chest tickled, not manifesting into a cough that had picked up strength over the last day, but remaining uncomfortable just the same. He heard a sharp crack behind him, snapping him out of his reverie. He flipped onto his back, his eyes narrowing and his flame burning hotter as he recognized Victor Von Doom riding the Surfer's board.

Johnny heard the Fantasticar accelerate behind him, quickly calculating that Victor was going to reach them long before Reed could get his glorified hovercraft into top gear. Given the lack of metal on his person, he knew he was the best shot at buying his team more time.

Johnny charged Victor, his hands glowing white. He saw Von Doom assume a defensive posture, but then smirk and relax.

_What_ _the..._ he thought before Victor fixed the younger Storm with a feral smile and carelessly flicked his wrist.

Far below them, the water began churning, exploding from ground level and forming a protective barrier directly in front of Victor. Johnny, unable to avoid the huge wall, flew directly into it.

His momentum carried him through the water, dousing his flames in the process. He emerged on the other side, still travelling at a good speed. Stunned from the collision, he tumbled towards the earth, head over heels.

He felt the wind shooting past him, slapping him in the face, and bringing him around to consciousness. Just yards from the ground, he managed to flip upright and focused on relaxing his joints.

His feet smacked into the ground, sending pain shooting through his knee. Pitched forward, he allowing his momentum to carry him into a partial somersault. He crossed his arms over his head as he rolled along the ground, coming to rest on his back after a few turns.

He lay there, panting heavily, a barking cough escaping his lungs between greedy gasps of fresh, water-free air. When he had caught his breath, he performed a quick self-examination, sighing gratefully when he didn't find any broken bones. He quickly palpated his knee, and, after a moment, moved it left and right. Though there was pain, it was not the excruciating agony associated with an ACL tear, and his knee did not feel loose or unstable.

Oh yeah: he could work with that.

Johnny rolled onto his stomach, raising himself onto his hands and left knee, keeping his injured knee extended behind him. He leaned back on his heel, swinging his right leg around to the front, and stood up, grabbing onto a tree for support. Once vertical, he gingerly put down his other foot, applying a little bit of weight and grinning when his knee did not give out.

It took more than that to bring down a Storm.

Glancing upwards, he spotted the white exhaust left by Reed's newest–and arguably coolest–invention. He flamed on and, after a shaky takeoff, shot after the rest of the Fantastic Four.

After a few long minutes, he spotted the Fantasticar moments before it broke into three parts. He poured on the speed, aligning himself with the three sections of the flying car.

"Let's all go for a spin," he heard Victor shout. He whipped around to see energy exploded out of Victor's fist, with a force unlike anything he had ever generated with his electricity. The shockwave slammed into Johnny and sent him spinning round and round.

He did his best to keep from colliding with parts of the Fantasticar, keeping himself from smashing into the unforgiving metal. The wind tore at him, practically ripping the flames out of him and stealing the breath from his lips. He fought valiantly, knowing his flames were serving as a buffer between him and the debris, but eventually the intensity of the wind became too great.

His energy reserve drained, he flamed off and allowed himself to be carried listlessly by the tornado.

Without any protection from the metal Fantasticar, unlike the others, he spiraled downward, only semi-conscious. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Thing falling next to him, but he couldn't manage the strength to call out to his teammate.

He saw the trees beneath him, tried to angle out of their path, without any success. He smacked into the first branch, and heard some teeth-grinding cracks before he was saved from the remainder of painful collisions by blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

"JOHNNY!"

Johnny heard Reed calling his name and turned away from the noise, curling back into himself. He wanted to go back to sleep–whatever Reed wanted him to do could wait for a few more hours.

"C'mon Matchstick!" he heard Ben grunt. "Suzie needs ya!"

His sister. With the Surfer.

"Sue!" Johnny groaned, shooting upright, cursing under his breath as pain spiked through his ribs. However much they were getting paid for this superhero stuff, it wasn't enough, he decided.

He forced one eye open to see Reed and Ben looking worriedly at him, Ben's arms out, ready to catch him regardless of the consequences of their powers switching.

"Johnny," Reed began, his arm hovering just far enough from Johnny's forehead, but just close enough to feel the extraordinary heat radiating off him.

"Fine," Johnny ground out between gritted teeth as he flipped onto his stomach and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Correction: knee. The one that didn't feel like it had spikes stabbing through it. "Just…peachy."

"Matchstick," Ben began.

"Not the time, Wide Load," Johnny gasped as he gripped a nearby tree and painfully pulled himself to his feet. Wait, another tree? Weren't they supposed to be in a city? He looked around, seeing he had landed in a small corner park, less than two feet away from some playground equipment.

_Thank God for small mercies, _he thought, twisting his head slightly to view the other end of the park. He laid eyes on one part of the Fantasticar, which was standing vertically in the middle of the street, black smoke billowing from the engine. The other two sections were nowhere in sight.

"Can you fly?"

Johnny turned his head and shot Reed a scalding look while opening his fist, setting his hand aflame. "Just…gimme a minute," he breathed, feeling a little bit of his equilibrium return.

"Let's go," he sighed after another long pause.

He allowed Ben and Reed to head off towards the…well, he wasn't really sure. But they seemed to know where they were going. Realizing he wasn't going to be able to run, he flamed on and rose unsteadily into the air. His flames flickered once, twice, and were in danger of going out before they steadied and began to burn consistently.

He hovered just behind Ben, taking great care to draw what little energy he could from his power. For a moment, he concentrated, increasing his core temperature in a wave that traveled from head to toe, bringing with it a burst of adrenaline. His gaze snapped back to the ground where he saw Ben duck into an alleyway, having long been lapped by Reed's stretchy limbs. Without hesitation, Johnny followed his former CO, maneuvering through two buildings barely three feet apart.

At the far end of the alley, they emerged to find Sue Storm, swaying back and forth, blood dripping from her eyebrow and a spear in her chest.

Johnny was so focused on Sue, he wasn't paying attention to his landing. He dropped to the ground unevenly, staggering forward slightly as he inadvertently jarred his knee. But no one noticed: everyone's attention was focused on Sue.

"Stay back Johnny!" Ben growled as he reached out to catch her.

Johnny hobbled backward, feeling his heart skip a beat as he saw his sister fall, the spear dissipating into thin air. He couldn't form a coherent thought, his brain stuck on the image of Sue collapsing, caught by Reed at the last second.

"You need to find a way to get the board," Sue gasped, writing in agony on the ground.

_Oh God. No. Not Sue, _his brain finally spat out. She had to be fine. She was the Invisible Woman and everyone knows that little children get Invincible and Invisible mixed up all the time, so they were kinda the same thing right?

What the hell was he saying? _Focus, idiot,_ his brain snapped, forcing the wayward thought out of his head.

Reed was kneeling over his sister, drawing her head into his lap. Johnny was slightly comforted by the fact that his sister was being held by someone who loved her, even if it wasn't him.

Damn Reed for being so…Reed. Damn Norrin for unloading his otherworldly molecular state that wasn't allowing him to be there for his sister.

"He is here," the Silver Surfer stated as if on cue.

Johnny tore his eyes away from his sister and glanced upward as debris started funneling itself into a tornado that travelled upwards into the atmosphere. As if someone had flipped a light switch, it quickly turned dark as heavy clouds covered the sky.

He couldn't help but stare as the dust spiraled upwards lost into the gloom.

Reed and Ben were conversing, he noted, flicking his attention back to his sister, who was breathing heavily, still curled up in Reed's arms.

What was Reed saying? Something about separating Doom from the board…Oh yeah, that'd probably be a good idea.

Then Reed looked directly at him.

Shit.

"He's too strong for me," Johnny admitted wholeheartedly. Especially with his powers in this state of flux.

Ben was speaking now, in his gravelly voice about how he would wail on Doom.

And then there was Reed, saying it would take all of them.

It took a split second before the idea registered for Johnny.

"Or maybe just one of us," he interjected, before he had time to think about the consequences of this suggestion. He automatically straightened up and schooled his surprised expression into confidence.

Upon hearing Johnny's suggestion, Ben turned and examined the young hothead he had kicked out of NASA just a few years ago. The kid's skin was an unusual shade of grey, he was standing in a manner that clearly favored his right knee, and his arm was pressed tightly against his side. There was no way they could send him to battle Doom all by his lonesome. Not now—not any day, even when he was completely healthy.

Luckily, Reed appeared to have observed this as well. "We don't know what it could do to you."

Johnny was touched by Reed's concern, but seeing his sister…dying…without him being able to touch her, to reassure her that she would be fine—that she'd be back to kicking his ass for leaving his motorcycle helmet in the middle of the walkway in no time—ignited a deep-seeded hatred for Victor.

He straightened fully, putting enough weight on his leg to stand at attention.

"Let's not make this about me," he stated with bravado, throwing in a confident smirk for good measure.

Ben was scowling, Reed was nodding and Sue looked confused for a long moment, but they all stuck out their hands.

"Be careful," Sue whispered, her lips barely moving.

Johnny nodded soberly before placing his hand on theirs and drawing in their powers.

* * *

_This four powers thing was….fan-freakin'-tastic!_ Johnny decided as he flew, under Sue's invisibility, towards Victor. The combination of the four had rejuvenated him in a manner not even he could imagine. He was completely pain-free, not sore in the slightest. He felt damn good.

"To quote a friend of mine," he began, a wide smile breaking over his face as Victor turned with shock etched into his metal features, "its clobbering time."

He pulled back Ben's fist, sending Victor flying away. He reached with Reed's stretchiness and snagged hold of the criminal mastermind, bringing him within punching range for the second time. He released a right cross that sent Victor crashing into the nearest skyscraper.

He braced himself, bringing out Ben's invincibility, as Doom headed back his way, destroying every window in his path. The force of the shards threw him backwards, but Ben's tough hide kept any from landing on his skin.

Looking behind him, he snagged the antenna, spinning around it and heading back toward Victor with a fireball ready. He turned invisible and channeled Reed's ability to wrap himself around Doom and land a few of Ben's fists. While Victor was stunned, he leaned back and burned hotter, grinning when he heard the tinkling of glass breaking and saw the board fall away.

Someone had developed really good eyesight-exactly who, he wasn't sure-but he was able to see Ben climb into a crane. He wound up and released Victor, spinning him like a top. He threw himself backwards, allowing Ben to thwack the criminal with the crane.

Without a second thought in Doom's direction, Johnny flew back towards where his sister was lying, curled up in Reed's arms, ghostly white and fighting for every breath.

He knelt down and handed back their powers, feeling the world sway wildly as each power was returned to their owner and his newfound energy leaving as quickly as it had come. It was good he was half-kneeling, for he was no longer sure his knee could support his weight.

Sue stared into Reed's eyes one last time before her head rolled backwards, her eyes no longer seeing. Johnny kept watching, waiting for her eyes to blink, forgetting to breathe as reality crashed down on him.

His sister. Sue Storm. Was dead?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Norrin mount the board. He wanted to reach out, to keep the Surfer from touching her, after all, this was all his fault. He had brought Gallactus here to eat the planet and had somehow endeared his sister's affection—she always had a thing for the lost and uncertain. Like that puppy she had brought home when she was in high school. The poor thing was missing part of his ear—

Focus. Sue. Surfer. World. Ending.

But Stormy had been so cute. The way he'd shake off after a bath—

_What the hell is wrong with you? _his brain interrupted.

Johnny shook his head, focusing on Norrin.

Damn, he was having a hard time concentrating.

And was it getting uncomfortably warm or was that just him?

But wait, Surfer wanting to touch Sue. Bad idea. He began to reach out, but a wave of calm spread over him. He tilted his head slightly at Norrin, who nodded once. Somehow, Johnny recognized this as a confirmation the Surfer's intentions were nothing but good.

_Well, that's good_, Johnny thought, shifting his focus to staying upright instead.

He stared at the Surfer, watching his skin dull as he hovered over Sue. He saw himself reflected in Norrin's armor, a patch of black spreading into the mirrored surface until half of his face was tinged with black.

_Ooh, I look like Two-Face_, he thought gleefully.

Wait, what was happening?

_Sue_, his brain chimed in, _Sue is…_

Oh God.

He whipped his head around to stare at Sue, watching as her chest rose, remained still for a heart-stopping second, then fell. She turned and nuzzled into Reed's chest.

Johnny let out the breath he had been holding as the color returned to Sue's face and she drew air into her lungs.

He eyed the Surfer, not sure how to express his thanks, but Norrin had already taken off. Johnny tracked Norrin, watching the Surfer struggle against the rocks and other debris in his weakened state.

"What the hell," he cursed through gritted teeth, flying after the Surfer. He ignored the dull ache in his bones, feeling some of it fade away as adrenaline started to flood his system. He grabbed onto the board with renewed force, focusing all his energy into saving the life of being that had saved his sister.

The rocks beat against him, mostly burning up on impact with the flames. As they continued their ascent, some began to make it through as the oxygen levels thinned and his flame flickered.

Black spots dancing before his eyes, he buried his head into his shoulder and burned hotter for a few short seconds, pushing Norrin the last few feet before releasing the surfboard and letting gravity claim him.

Norrin felt a change in the young boy's energy and flipped around in order to see the male Storm falling, unconscious, physically drained of all his boyish energy. He contemplated going back to help the Storm, who would surely be saving the world for many years to come, but that would too much diminish the already limited time he would have to save the Earth from Galactus.

He could sense that the boy's injuries were superficial—a product of his humanity—nothing that couldn't be fixed with the proper care from his sister and his pseudo-family. Unlike Susan, Johnny had accrued no wound that could only be healed by the Herald of Galactus.

So he turned back around, bent his knees slightly and braced himself against the strong winds as he flew into the mouth of his master.

* * *

**Hope you liked the first chapter! I know that was a lot of the movie's plot regurgitated, but as Johnny falls from the sky again, we enter into uncharted territory.**

**I've already written the entire story (four chapters in total) and I will update every few days if there is interest!**

**Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2

**There is one remarkable similarity to a scene in the **_**Avengers**_** if you squint. Believe me when I tell you I had this chapter written long before the movie came out.**

**Thanks for all your kind words! Enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

Ben had been watching Johnny's ascent, unable to shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong with the kid. He was having a hard time staying upright while Norrin healed Sue—not that Ben was supposed to have noticed—and he seemed paler than he had been before his fight with Doom. Considering how fair-skinned the kid was to begin with, he was almost ghost-white now. But they had needed him to fight Victor and, by extension, save the world (wow, would that cliché ever get old?) so Ben hadn't stopped him. That didn't mean Johnny wasn't going to get a serious reaming when he landed for taking such risks.

So, when he hadn't seen the flames return, he began to worry. He squinted in the general direction the two flyboys had left in and eventually saw a Johnny-sized mass falling without any sign of slowing.

His eyes widened and he was on his feet before he could register the thought that Johnny was falling and wasn't flaming on.

"Reed!" Ben shouted, breaking into a run as he tried to track Johnny's path.

"JOHNNY!" he heard Sue scream. His eyes never leaving the falling Storm, he dug his heels into the ground, sending concrete flying in all directions, right under where he believed Johnny would land. A bluish tarp flashed over his hands and Ben saw Reed sprawled out above him, creating a buffer between Johnny and Ben's rough, rocky exterior.

The younger Storm smashed into Reed, bouncing high into the air before landing firmly in Ben's arms. Ben almost immediately placed the Torch on the ground, tilting back his head to allow him to breathe more easily.

Sue pulled herself to her knees, yelping as her muscles refused the movement. She pushed past the stiffness and scrambled towards her brother.

"Sue," Reed couldn't help but warn before his fiancé fixed him with an icy glare and gently palpated her brother's neck for a pulse.

She held her breath, praying that she would feel the movement beneath her fingers. A second later, she did. His pulse was shallow and thready, but it was present.

"He's alive!" she shouted, pulling his head into her lap and carding her fingers through his hair. Her head was bent, her hair cascading down in front of her, hiding Johnny from sight, yet both Ben and Reed were able to see one lonely tear trickle slowly down her cheek.

"And he needs a doctor!"

Reed snapped into action, not at all hurt by Susie's underlying meaning that he was not equipped to handle this situation. And to be fair, he wasn't—he was a physicist, thoroughly untrained in the field of medicine.

He hauled himself upright, restoring his limbs to their rightful positions, discarding the ache in his midsection from Johnny's landing. He hurried down the street until he found the first bystander who was poking his head over the ruined knick-knack cart.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" Reed demanded.

The man stared at Reed in shock and began mumbling incoherently in his native language.

"Hospital," Reed mimed walking with crutches.

"My friend," he pointed to Johnny, "is hurt," he held his arm disjointedly away from his body, trying to convey the notion of injury.

The man continued to babble for a moment before throwing up his hands and dashing in the opposite direction.

"Forget it," Reed mumbled, stretching upwards. He ignored the shouting of the shocked workers as he shot past the multi-level houses and office buildings to a height where he had a relatively unobstructed view of the city. He glanced around and was able to see a red X marking a vertical landing pad on top of a building not too far away.

He felt a pounding against his calf and looked down to see Ben punching his leg, motioning wildly to a blob next to him.

"REED!" Ben's voice travelled faintly up to his current height.

Recognizing the urgency in his voice, the scientist quickly retracted himself to find the Thing one step behind an elderly Chinese man carrying a black medicine bag and speaking rapidly into a cell phone.

"Thank God!" Reed murmured as he followed suit.

The doctor crouched beside the Storms, slamming his cell closed. He pulled out a thermometer from his bag and was about to stick it in Johnny's mouth when Reed stretched out and pulled the hand back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he explained.

"Correct," the man nodded, putting the thermometer back into his bag. "Human Torch temperature very high. Medical mystery."

He began performing a full body examination, muttering in a mixture of Mandarin and English as he did so.

"Possible fracture zygomatic, broken sixth, seventh ribs left side," he spoke loudly, as he sensed the rest of the team waiting for answers, "we worry about lung, major inflammation right knee, multiple contusions."

He fingered Johnny's carotid artery, stared at his watch, his mouth moving softly with the count. Then, he pulled a stethoscope from his bag and listened to Johnny breath.

"Bradycardic. Slight wheeze. He need hospital. STAT."

"Who should I…"

"They on way," the doctor extracted a clear IV drip, swabbed the back of Johnny's hand and deftly inserted the needle. "For Mr. Storm, they rush plenty."

Sue looked up from her brother's bruised form. "Thank you," she whispered, continuing to rub her thumb in soothing circles on his uninjured cheekbone.

Sure enough, the paramedics were there within minutes. They fitted Johnny with a neck brace before strapping him to a spinal board. Susan automatically followed her brother into the ambulance, shooting a quick glance towards Reed wondering how they would manage.

"We'll be fine, Susie," Reed nodded, slamming the doors of the ambulance closed. "You just take care of Johnny."

He quickly went up to the driver's seat. "Check her out as well," he pleaded. "She was in the same accident that he was. She probably won't let you do it, but you—"

"Consider it done," the driver nodded, checking the rearview mirror one final time before pulling away.

* * *

"When are they…"

Ben rolled his eyes and buried his head in his hands. "Soon Susie. They'll let us know as soon as they have something."

Sue nodded, blinking back tears. "Of course. You're right. I just—"

Ben reached out and took her small hand between his, patting it very gently. "I know Susie. He's your brother."

"That stupid jerk didn't tell us he was injured—why didn't he tell us he was hurt?" She began to speak more loudly as she became more agitated.

She pulled her hand from Ben's and began to gesticulate animatedly. "That's so unlike him, you know? Every little thing—paper cut, skinned knee, you name it—it was such a big deal, but stuff like this, he hides?" Ben smoothly nodded to the ED nurses who were shooting Sue death glares. "As soon as the doctors figure out what's wrong with him, I'm gonna kill him."

Ben took her hand once again and carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "It'll all be okay Sue. Reed's in there doing everything he can, and Johnny, he's a fighter. Trust me: he's not done living yet."

Sue nodded and nestled her head into Ben's chest. "He better not be."

The Thing nodded, tightening his grasp around the female Storm, but only slightly.

He continued to hold her as her breathing slowed and he felt her slack against him in sleep. Unable to sleep himself, he began people-watching. The room was packed full, but in the hours they had been there, it had begun to slow. The public had been either cognizant enough, or fearful enough, to give Ben and Susan a bit of space.

"Pwease momma! Pwease!" he heard a little boy wail.

"No, you can't go over there!" A Caucasian mother whispered sharply to her son. She was barely maintaining a grasp on her young son, who had a Fantastic Four band-aid on his forehead. He was trying desperately to extract himself from his mother who had a firm grip on his one wrist and was stretching himself as far as possible, reaching towards The Thing with his free arm. "He's clearly busy."

Ben smiled. "It's okay, miss. He can come over here if he wants to. And if it's okay with you," he added after a quick pause.

"Are you sure, sir?" The mother still looked concerned. "I don't want to be disturbing you."

"He'd be a welcome distraction," Ben motioned with his free arm. The child bounded away from his mother, promising to be nice, and crashed into the seat next to Ben, splaying his upper body over the plastic as he tried to pull himself up.

"Careful little fella," Ben laughed, reaching out his hand. The boy's eyes widened and he crawled into Ben's hand, allowing Ben to lift him into the seat.

"Thank you, Mister Thing," he said politely, his eyes still the size of saucers.

"So what's your name, squirt?"

"I Chris," the boy declared, pointing to his chest. "And…and…and dat my bruder Jake. He gots hurted falling down stairs." He whipped around and pointed toward the second child his mother was clutching tightly to her chest. The younger brother was fast asleep, his eyes swollen and red from crying.

The mom caught The Thing's stare. "It's probably a sprained arm, but I just wanted to be sure. It's our last night here and I don't want it to be a problem on the flight home."

"Yeah," Chris was practically bouncing in his seat. "We hewr visiting my daddy. He working."

"I don't think Mr. Grimm wants to hear about Dad's work, honey," the mother informed her son.

"Oh, sowwy," the boy quieted. For a split second.

"Dat the In…in…Insibivle woman?" he questioned, leaning in towards Sue.

Ben nodded, pushing Susie's hair out of her face. "But you have to speak quietly, she's sleeping."

"N' I'm not," Sue mumbled, forcing her eyes open. "Hey there," she greeted the child.

"Hi," Chris replied, his chubby cheeks turning tomato red.

"What's your name?" she asked as she straightened up and yawned into the back of her hand.

"Chris," the boy answered softly.

"It's very nice to meet you Chris," she smiled warmly. "You want to know something?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

"You look just like my brother Johnny when he was little."

Chris's jaw literally fell open. "I looked like the Torch?"

Sue nodded.

"DAT'S SO COOL!" Chris shouted, jumping to his feet and fist pumping the air.

"Christopher!" his mother reprimanded and the boy immediately stilled but didn't look the least bit apologetic. He plopped down, his little legs swinging back and forth enthusiastically.

"Where is Mr. Johnny?"

Sue barely managed to keep the sadness out of her face. "Well, Chris, he got hurt on our last mission."

"Just like my broder?"

Sue glanced over and saw the younger brother curled into his mother's arms. "Just like your brother."

"Weld, I hoped he feeled better. He my fav'rite," Chris announced quietly.

"Jake Evans?" A nurse called from the other side of the room.

"That's us, honey," the mother announced. "You say thank you to Mr. Grimm and Ms. Storm for putting up with you."

The boy saddened as he slid off the chair. "Thank you very much. I had the bestest time."

"So did we," Ben smiled.

"Christopher!"

The boy dragged his feet as he headed away from the members of the Fantastic Four.

"You guys really cool," he said before turning and hurrying to catch up to his mother.

Sue laughed and waved until the boy passed into the patient's rooms.

"Any word on Johnny?" she questioned the second he was gone.

"Nothing Susie, but it's only been a half hour or so. Give them some time."

"Okay, yeah, sure. You're right. Again."

She was quiet for a moment. "God, Chris was cute, huh?"

Ben shrugged. "I guess."

"He really did look just like Johnny. That same hair—refused to lay flat, no matter how much gel I had in it."

Sue's eyes snapped up as she recognized the distinct footsteps approaching. Without looking, she threw herself into her fiancé's arms, wrapping her arms so tightly around his chest that he actually thinned until she was practically holding nothing.

"How is he, Reed?" she asked, her head buried in his shoulder.

"Mrpph," was all the scientist could manage in his current position.

Sue tweaked her head and loosened her grip when she saw how tightly she was holding him. "Sorry," she apologized.

"Get to it, Stretch," Ben growled from his still seated position. "Is Matchstick gonna be okay?"

"Johnny will be fine. He managed to break two of his ribs, but not his cheekbone. His knee is so swollen they couldn't run an MRI but the initial ACL test came back negative, so its unlikely he tore it, though there is a small chance the test was wrong, as with all tests of that nature…" he trailed off as he saw Sue's mortified expression.

"_But_ there's a great chance it is completely accurate," he quickly amended. "They're looking to run another one in a few days as soon as the swelling goes down. He managed to crack his left radius, so they are going to cast it, just in case. And…"

"There's more?" Ben spoke up, anger at the Torch for hiding all these injuries creeping into his tone.

"Just one more thing. He's also suffering from a very minor respiratory infection, nothing too serious, but—"

"I thought Johnny couldn't get sick," Sue interrupted.

"His body temperature is high enough to burn the 'bugs'," Reed paused to use the air quotes on that particular phrase, "on impact, but the events of the last week, especially the flux of his powers, probably weakened his immune system enough to leave him susceptible to a chest cold. He is on steroids as a preventative manner as well as IV antibiotics to ward off any further infections. All in all, if we can keep him resting for a few days, given his unusually fast healing rate, he should be back to normal within one to two weeks. Maybe sooner."

"Oh thank God, Reed," Sue wrapped her arms around him again. "He's going to be okay!" she cried, the tears she had been holding back now falling freely.

"When can we see him?"

"He's resting now," Reed continued, rubbing his hands in circles on Sue's back. "But…the nurses have granted you special permission, given what you have just done for their city. He's in room 237."

"What are we waiting for?" Ben declared, creaking off of the once-horizontal waiting room benches that had dipped considerably under his weight.

They walked in anxious silence, pausing right outside of Johnny's room when Reed shot out his arm, barricading the door.

"Just one more thing," he began.

"So help me Reed, if it's another injury…" Sue began.

"No, no, nothing like that. This is good news. His most recent encounter with the Silver Surfer must have restored his balance. His tests, though still below his norm, are much closer to his pre-Surfer results than the last batch. Considering the fact that the two of you didn't switch powers when you touched, I'd say Johnny is cured. In that regard at least."

"I could kiss you," Sue breathed, resting her hands on the side of Reed's face and drawing him close.

"Um," Ben backed up awkwardly while the two embraced. "I'd really like to see Matchstick, if that's okay with you two lovebirds."

"He's really going to be okay, Ben!" Sue practically shouted, pulling away from Reed and slipping open Johnny's door.

She bit her lip as her gaze landed on Johnny's unusually still form. With only a moment's hesitation, she dashed to his bedside and laid the back of her hand against his cheek, exhaling deeply as she felt the warmth under her touch. She lowered her arm and grabbed Johnny's hand, clutching it tightly.

She heard chairs screeching and felt one just behind the backs of her knees. Nodding her thanks, she settled in next to her team, waiting for her brother to wake up.


	3. Chapter 3

He was falling. Fast. Plummeting from the atmosphere. Wind whipping around him, stealing his breath, slamming into him from all angles.

"Flame on!" Johnny yelled, waiting for the rush of his flames exploding around him, the addictive adrenaline that came with ignition, the sheer weightlessness that came with flight.

But this time was different: there was no rush, no adrenaline, no flight. He was falling like a rock.

He wanted to throw out his arms and legs to slow his plummet towards Earth but he remained in a cannonball position, his limbs tightly wound around each other, completely immobile.

"Come on, you stupid…" he swore as he concentrated on his hand, wanting to psychically open his fist and set his limb on fire.

"Flameonflameonflameonflameon !" he shouted desperately, his breath catching in his throat as he saw the continents come into view. He focused on his core, drawing out his heat.

"Work, you frickin' powers!"

Nothing.

He was at tree level now, seconds away from smashing into the ground. He heard people screaming, saw them running out of the way. He tried to rotate into a position that would minimize the damage done when he landed but, from the height he had fallen, he was pretty sure he was a pancake either way.

"I'm sorry, Sue," he breathed as he crashed into the ground.

* * *

It was the second day of Johnny's stay and, though his vitals were improving, he was still unconscious. His respiratory infection was clearing up under the antibiotics, as evidenced by the second chest x-ray they had run earlier that morning, and his vivid facial bruising was starting to fade. After delivering that news, the doctor had attempted to kick out the rest of the Fantastic Four, telling them they needed to eat and rest for a few hours outside of the hospital. Sue had steadfastly refused to leave but had encouraged her fiancé and teammate to follow doctor's wishes.

She was sleeping fitfully beside her brother when she heard a small voice from outside the room exclaim, "It's Mr. Johnny!"

She blinked blearily, and slid her hand out from underneath her brother's, scrubbing the remainder of sleep from her eyes. She glanced at the doorway just in time to see Chris, the young boy she had briefly met in the waiting room, dodge the police officer standing guard outside the hospital room and run towards Sue.

"Hi, Ms. Insibivle W'man," he said bashfully, hiding his face behind his stuffed bear.

The guard recovered quickly and grabbed Chris by the arm. "I'm sorry, Ms. Storm," he apologized as he began to drag the child from the room.

"No, that's all right," Sue stood and gently released the security guard's grip on the boy. "He can stay."

"Are you sure, Ms. Storm?" the guard inquired.

Sue nodded. "Can you let his parents know he's here?" she began, but was cut off by loud shouting outside the room.

"Christopher Michael! You come out into this hallway right now or you'll be grounded for a—" the shouting became louder and louder until the worried mother was standing outside the door.

As she passed the room, she glanced in, still in the midst of her tirade.

"Christopher! You come out here right now! You know what I said about wandering off."

"I sorry mommy!" the little boy cried, running towards his mother and wrapping his arms around her legs. "I saw'd Mr. Thing come-d out of hewr. I wanted to see'd Mr. Johnny and to tell him to gets better."

The anger fell off the mother's face, quickly replaced with pride for a split second before frustration and worry won over again.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Storm," the mother recited as she pulled her son from the room. "He's usually such a good kid."

"No, it's okay," Sue said. "It was very sweet of him."

"Mommy, I wished Johnny better real quick?" Chris begged, looking up at his mom with wide, begging eyes.

The mother stared silently at her son. "You ask Ms. Storm if it's alright first," she finally conceded.

The large blue eyes were now fixed on Sue. "Pwease Ms. 'Torm?"

"Yes of course," she reached out one arm, and, after a quick glance to his mother to make sure it was okay, Chris grabbed it and allowed her to lead him by Johnny's side. "I'm sure he'd be glad to know that he had such cute fans that care," she grinned, ruffling his hair.

"He no look so good," Chris intoned quietly, staring at the unconscious Human Torch.

"He's getting much better," Sue replied truthfully. Though the test results kept coming back positive, it was still concerning that he had not regained consciousness after two days. Reed kept telling her that in a case such as this, there was no measure of normalcy and Johnny would come back when his body was ready.

"That good," Chris tucked his bear under one arm before busing himself with his right pants pocket. After a short struggle, he pulled out a small Fantastic Four bandage, a twin to the one he wore on his forehead. He struggled for a second to get it open, allowing the wrapping to drop onto the floor. Tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration, he stood on his tiptoes and placed the band-aid on Johnny's cast. He then kissed his open hand and laid it softly on top of the bandage.

"Mommy always kisses my owies," he told Sue as he grabbed the trash from the band-aid and stuffing it into his pocket. "Then they always getted better."

Unbeknownst to the boy, as soon as he had pulled out the band-aid, his mother had reached out, ready to stop her son. Sue shook her head, waving the mother off, allowing this boy to "heal" her brother.

She knelt down and looked Chris directly in the eye. "Thank you," she said, pulling the boy into a hug. "I'll be sure he knows you want him to get better."

The boy squirmed uncomfortably in Sue's hug, eventually wriggling free. "Dood. Cos if he not better, you only gots three, not four. You's need four to be called the Fantastic Four."

"I'll tell him," Sue promised, her emotions torn between the adorability of Chris' statement and sadness at the memory of almost losing her brother.

"We'd better get going," the mother spoke up quietly from the doorway.

"Yes mommy," Chris huffed sadly as she hustled him out of the room.

Sue heard the mother begin to rant, her voice getting softer and softer as they moved away, about how, while the gesture was touching, he was still not getting ice cream for dessert since he wandered off.

"You'd better get better soon," Sue informed her brother, staring at the small band-aid on his dark blue cast, truly touched by the little boy's gesture.

"Your fans are worried."

After a split second, she added, "We're all worried."

* * *

Miraculously, he didn't die on impact.

At first, there was no pain, only an empty void, but as time drew on the breaks, sprains and other injuries made themselves known, starting with his toes and working up to his chest. As the sensation returned to his torso, the shear pain associated with breathing stole away the little breath he had managed to gain. White fireworks exploded behind his closed lids and he focused on anything but the pain.

He heard a faint whisper, almost positive someone was saying his name.

He tried to open his mouth, but that motion sent fire—and not his kind of fire—racing up and down the side of his face.

"That's it, Johnny," he heard, only slightly louder this time.

Was that Sue? What was she doing here?

"S'e," he groaned through clenched teeth. With great effort, he repressed the cough that threatened to follow, knowing it would wreak havoc on his throbbing torso.

"Get a doctor!" he heard Sue shout, the sound so loud on his abused eardrums that he wanted to curl into a ball and cover his ears but his leaden body steadfastly refused the motion.

"S'okay Johnny," he heard Sue said, felt her cool hand on his face. "I know you can do it. Just open your eyes for me."

Johnny concentrated very hard, managing to force out two words.

"What Johnny? I didn't hear you. Just open your eyes. I know you can do it."

A litany of swear words shot through his skull. He focused again and repeated, much more slowly, "mag…ic…w'rd."

"_Now_, you jerk," Sue swatted him lightly on the shoulder, "or I'll make sure the least attractive nurse in the hospital is assigned to your room."

_Fine, _Johnny thought, managing to crack open his right eye. He actually wanted to open his left one but even through his drugged state, he sensed that eye was swollen almost, if not completely, closed.

"That's it," Sue continued encouragingly. "Welcome back."

"Long?" _God, his throat hurt. What he wouldn't do for some…_

"Three days." He felt a chilled metal object at his lips, automatically creaking open his jaw to allow Sue to slip in some ice chips.

He managed to lift an eyebrow to express his surprise.

"In and out," Sue clarified. "Mostly out."

He swished the chips around and swallowed almost immediately, sighing with great satisfaction as the chips quelled some of the inflammation in his parched throat. Almost as if the ice contained a magic healing ability, he felt some of the excruciating pain drain away, leaving only a dull throbbing sensation. He shifted his arm and felt the soft pressure where the IV was inserted. He was on the good stuff if he wasn't in any pain.

"I love you," he rasped in relief.

"I love you too Johnny," Sue responded, offering him some more ice chips.

With great determination, Johnny looked around his room, seeing an empty lounge chair and a reinforced stretcher within arm's reach from where he was currently lying.

"What time s'it?" he asked, the clock still a bit too far for his sight range.

"2 AM," an unfamiliar male voice replied.

Johnny quickly turned his gaze to his left, seeing for the first time a well-built Chinese man wearing a lab coat, flipping through a thick file.

"Who're y'u?"

"I am Dr. Chan. I am responsible for your overall care, Mr. Storm."

"Johnny," the Torch corrected.

"Johnny it is. I won't bore you with the semantics of your current situation but you'll be here for a few days until we can get those ribs healed up and that knee looked at. Until then, you will obey the orders of my nursing staff or I will have you sedated until I believe you are fit to leave. Am I making myself clear?"

Johnny frowned and looked back at Sue, silently asking _"Is this guy for real?"_

She lifted one shoulder, shrugging.

"Johnny?" the doctor repeated impatiently.

"Crystal," he answered, biting back the urge to tack a _sir _to the end of his response.

"Good. Now let's start with your vitals. How are you feeling?"

Even with one eye swollen shut, Johnny's glare was deadly.

"All right," the doctor grinned. "I guess that was a stupid question. What is your current pain, on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being no pain, 10 makes you want to scream."

Johnny thought for a moment. "Like a three."

Sue swatted him lightly on the arm. "This isn't time for you to be macho. Don't lie to him."

"'m not lying," Johnny croaked. "I feel pretty good."

"That's the morphine talking," the doctor scribbled a note on his pad. He performed a quick exam, jotting down Johnny's responses to each injury.

_Ooh, a cast_, the younger Storm thought upon seeing the blue wrapping on his arm. _That'll be fun to take care of_.

And a Fantastic Four band-aid? What the –?

"Well, considering the circumstances, I'd say your injuries are healing nicely. I'm looking to release you in a few days, should you continue to improve. But most importantly, while you're here, do not 'Flame on'," the doctor imitated Johnny by dramatically flinging open his fists. "Not only will that set back your recovery but it will ruin my nice new equipment. And trust me, I had to beg for this new equipment."

With that, he left.

"Nice guy," Johnny commented, feeling with one hand for the controls. With Sue's help, he managed to raise his bed into angled sitting position.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Johnny. You had us so worried there."

"I'm sorry Sue, I really am," he replied, lowering his gaze and staring intently his cast.

The two sat in silence for a long moment listing to the nurses' chatting in the hallway, the sounds offset by the rhythmic beeping of his heart monitor.

"Why didn't you tell us you were hurt?" Sue asked quietly.

"I don't—" Johnny began but was cut off by a sharp glare from his sister. He closed his mouth and thought, his face furrowing in concentration.

"_Why are you so down on me? You don't even know me," _he remembered himself asking the very, very attractive Captain Frankie Raye.

"_Actually, I know you very well. I read your personality profile: confident, reckless, irresponsible, self-obsessed—bordering on narcissism."_

"_Okay, so you do know me."_

"_All I've seen is a guy who almost got his team killed."_

"I didn't want to be that guy," he admitted aloud.

"What guy?" Sue asked, genuinely confused.

"The guy who almost got his team killed," Johnny regurgitated Frankie's words, wincing as they left his lips.

Then he frowned as he realized what he had just said. He didn't usually admit stuff like that, especially to his sister. _It must be the drugs talking,_ he realized. _There was no way he'd be this open if he wasn't on some very strong painkillers._ He looked at his sister, his eyes narrowing as he realized she had been waiting for this perfect moment to confront him. And people thought he was the sneaky sibling...

Sue gasped. "Johnny, whatever gave you—"

"Don't deny it, Sue. You were all thinking it," Johnny spat, keeping his voice at a harsh whisper to avoid being overheard by the inquisitive nursing staff. "The London Eye, for example."

"Johnny, you can't—"

"Can't I? Hell, I'm on fire, Sue. I am a hazard to everyone who even comes near me. The whole chase with Norrin? All the stunts he was pulling, Sue, we could have hurt a lot of people. I'm a portable danger zone."

"Jonathon—"

But the younger Storm continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Mostly, though, I'm tired of being the scapegoat when something goes wrong. I thought, just this once, I could do something right. Something that would show everyone that there's more to me than just…" he shrugged helplessly, unable to come up with the correct phrase.

But Sue, being the sister that she was, didn't need Johnny to finish that sentence. She understood him wanting more in life that just the negative publicity that had been following him around lately. She understood the desire to help, no matter what the cost and, deep down, she was proud that her brother had finally come to this realization.

She reached out and awkwardly hugged her brother, mindful of his injuries. "Johnny, from the moment you saved that little girl on the bridge, everyone knew that you always would have our backs, no matter what stories the media would spin."

The younger Storm's eyes darkened and he pulled away viciously. "Yeah, Sue, you say that, but you didn't see Reed when you were…" he hesitated, his breath catching in his throat. He swallowed hard before continuing, "…dying. I wasn't even allowed near you. He was worried I would do something to you. My team was scared of me Sue; I can't live like that."

"Reed was just worried Johnny," Sue insisted, laying her hands on her brother's shoulders. "You know him: all he does is think logically, without considering the social ramifications. He was in shock and his scientist-mode just kicked in, telling you to stay back, given all that had…happened. You know he didn't mean it."

"Yeah, whatever," Johnny harrumphed petulantly, crossing his arms over his chest, wincing as his cast collided with his ribs.

"I mean that Jonathon Storm. When push comes to shove, we all know that you have our backs. It just takes some people a little longer to realize that. Let the world get to know this new Johnny. I'm sure everyone will like the outcome."

Sue looked down at Johnny's arm, spying the brightly colored bandage. She pulled back and pointed to his cast.

"See that band-aid? A little boy who thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread ran away from his mother to come tell you to get better. He doesn't care how everyone else sees you: all he cares about is that when the world is about to end, all four of us," Sue waved her finger in a horizontal circle to include the absent Reed and Ben, "are ready to defend it."

Johnny stared at the band-aid for a long moment, inspecting the cartoon version of himself shooting twin fireballs out of his fists at the gigantic creature hanging off of the Empire State Building while the Thing shielded a gaggle of pedestrians from the chunks of falling building.

"Sliced bread, huh?" he said after a moment, looking up from the cast and meeting Sue's gaze.

His sister gently swatted his arm. "Is that all you heard from that entire conversation?"

Johnny pretended to look shocked. "You mean, you actually said something important?"

Sue scowled at her brother without any real malice before reclining in the plush chair that had been brought in earlier. "Get some sleep Johnny. Your body needs it."

Johnny considered complaining, as all little brothers should, before his body rebelled and a giant yawn stretched his jaw so wide it cracked—loudly. His expression matching his sister's, he closed his eyes, feeling as if a not-insignificant weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Night Suzie," he murmured, fighting off another yawn.

"Night Johnny," he heard before the healing sleep claimed him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! The last chapter will be posted Friday.**


	4. Chapter 4

_All shirt designers should be shot_, Johnny grumbled under his breath as he fumbled with a loose button-up shirt. Since he was getting released later that afternoon, Sue had thoughtfully brought him either a regular T-shirt or a button-up, allowing him to decide which would be easiest to put on. All it had taken was his raising his right arm and feeling his ribs protest angrily for him to turn immediately to the button-up. However, that brought another slew of problems. With his cast and limited mobility, sliding into and buttoning said shirt was turning into freakin' nightmare.

He had gotten the left half of the shirt on without a problem—cast and all—but his ribs were still vehemently denying him the ability to slip his right arm into the sleeve. He scowled at the fabric, cursing those who had decided that shirts, pants and shoes were acceptable attire.

He heard a soft knock and glanced upwards to find Frankie Raye hovering awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hey," Johnny began, breaking the silence, shaking his head in frustration before letting half of the shirt slip back onto the bed. He'd wait until Sue or Reed returned from checking him out or having one final discussion with his doctor. Hell, even Ben, who had been tasked with finding a place to stay for a few short days until Johnny was back to "normal", would be an acceptable option for helping him squeeze into this modern torture device.

And yes, waiting for Ben would be a big deal since his ears were still stinging from the tongue lashing he had gotten from his former CO for continuing to act in ways that were counterproductive to his continued health…or something like that. Five minutes into the rant, Johnny had stopped listening. Knowingly, Ben only continued for another minute before awkwardly patting Johnny on the shoulder muttering "Glad you're alright." The Thing then proceeded to set the land speed record for leaving.

But that was another story for another day. He turned his focus back to the beautiful woman who was nervously leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey yourself," she shot back, sensing that was an invitation to enter. Dressed in a light cotton skirt and white blouse with her blonde hair falling loosely out of a single braid, she looked completely different—and that much more sexy…or, at least, that was Johnny's opinion. She perched on the arm of the recliner, not looking at all comfortable.

"Sooooo," he drawled, shifting slightly so she was in his eye line.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking anxiously around the room. Her eyes landed on his half-clothed figure. "You need some help with that shirt?"

"No," Johnny retorted automatically.

Frankie raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "Let's see you put it on then," she slipped off the armrest into the chair and leaned back cockily, arms crossed over her chest.

"Okay fine," Johnny tried again to avoid shifting his ribs while reaching around with his casted left hand to drag the shirt as close to his hand as possible. He felt the fabric stretch taut but still the arm hole wasn't close enough that he would be successful without moving his ribcage. And he wasn't about to try, given the fact that he was getting released today.

"Yes," he admitted quietly.

Surprisingly without a snappy comeback, Frankie got up from the recliner and reached around him to grab the elusive piece of fabric. In their close proximity, he couldn't help but inhale her light and flowery perfume.

She noticed his nose suspiciously close to her person and poked him in the shoulder. Hard. "Eyes on the prize, Storm."

"Yes ma'am!" He sobered quickly, but the smile returned just as fast when she was able to gently maneuver his arm into the shirt with minimal amounts of torso jarring.

"They should pay you for that," he offered as a "thank you", focusing now on buttoning the front of the shirt and grimacing at the thought.

Small hands batted his away. "Let me do it," Frankie insisted, easily fitting each button into its slit. She was done in record time.

"Funny, women aren't usually trying to get it _into _a shirt," Johnny quipped as he leaned back against the raised portion of the hospital bed.

"Most haven't already seen you in a towel beforehand," she returned lightly, relaxing against the plush recliner.

"Or maybe they have," he countered, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"What are you, seven?"

Johnny thought for a second. "That's more generous than most."

She opened her mouth to retort but was quickly reminded of her real intention for her visit. "Wait, let's start over. That's not why I came."

"So you weren't skulking in the hallway waiting to catch me shirtless again? I'm hurt," Johnny clasped his hand to his heart, a faux expression of pain on his face.

Captain Raye leaned forward and gently swatted Johnny's shoulder. "You wanna be serious for a minute?"

He frowned at the change in her behavior. "Yeah," he said slowly. "What's up?"

"I came to apologize," Frankie was speaking very quickly with words smashed together, pulling a face that let Johnny know that these words did not come naturally to her, "for what I said back at base."

The younger Storm shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's not really necessary. You didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"_At the time_," Frankie amended. "I wouldn't say all of that was necessarily true now."

"Let's run through the list, shall we? Confident: check. Reckless: I don't even need to ask your opinion on that one. Irresponsible: Let's just consider the London Eye fiasco. Self-obsessed: Well, my motto has always been, if you've got it, flaunt it…What?" he paused as he saw Frankie shaking her head sadly.

"If that's all you see, John Storm, then I feel sorry for you."

His expression danced between confusion and anger, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Sorry for—"

"Two nights ago, I saw all those qualities, in a man who saved…well, it sounds really cheesy, but, yeah, you helped save the world. _Helped _dumbass," she added as his expression morphed into pure glee. "You separated Doom from his board and gave Norrin a chance at stopping Galla, Gallata—"

"Galactus," Johnny offered, still enthused about her words.

"Sure," she waved dismissively. "It's all about the context, Johnny. In the right context, all those qualities are honorable. Something I hadn't considered beforehand."

"You and the rest of the world," Johnny muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. Continue."

Now it was her turn to look uneasy. "Well, that was really all I had to say, so I'm just gonna go," and within the next few seconds, she was already at the door.

"I just figured I owed you an apology. You're not the man I thought you were Jonathon Storm," she added softly before she stepped out of sight.

"Frankie! Wait!" Johnny shouted, pulling himself upright. Having forgotten temporarily about his injuries, he gasped as a sharp pain lanced through his ribs. He clutched at his side and focused on breathing to ride out the pain.

He heard the soft clicking of footsteps, too sharp to be any of the nursing staff, and lifted his head slightly to see Captain Raye standing by his bedside once again.

"Tell me you didn't just—"

"Yup," Johnny grimaced. Her hands reached out and helped to lower him against the bed.

"I can't believe you."

Johnny raised his eyebrows at her, shrugged his shoulders, and fed her his best shit-eating grin.

"Sooooo, what?" she drawled after the taut lines of pain on his face began to fade.

"What _what_?"

"What's so important that you almost set back your recovery?"

"I was gonna say, if you really feel that way, you can make it up to me," Johnny offered after a long moment.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If it involves handcuffs, I'll pass."

As if she hadn't spoken, he continued. "I have a feeling Sue and Reed are going to try to tie the knot again while we're here. I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me in a mutual, let's-get-to-know-the-real-Johnny-Storm-and-Frankie-Raye kind of night."

"No strings attached," he continued when he saw her hesitate. "Just one 'date'," he used finger-quotes to loosely define the word.

She thought for another minute. "Sure. I've got some leave time coming anyway. It'd be nice to stay here for a little while."

"It's a date then," Johnny said automatically. "But not a date—just a get together. A meeting of business partners so to speak."

"Goodbye Johnny," Frankie laughed, stepping out the door, but turning back one last time so he could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"Goodbye Frankie," he muttered softly under his breath, not having any further time to mull over their conversation since Sue returned with the wheelchair, ready to take him 'home'.

* * *

"MISTER TORCH!" Johnny turned at the sound of a child's exclamation and saw a small blond boy, clothed in a white dress shirt and black slacks, running towards him.

"You must be Chris," he said with a smile at the boy's enthusiasm.

Chris nodded continuously, his eyes staring in pure adoration at his idol. After a second, he shook his head and slowly reached out his hand, still awestruck.

"Hi," was the only word he could manage. Johnny returned the gesture, enclosing the boy's small hand in his own and shaking it once.

"CHRISTOPHER!" The boy winced.

"Sowwy mommy!" He shouted over his shoulder at his family, which was quickly approaching. "I founded Mister Torch!"

Taking a few longer strides, his mother quickly caught up with them. She immediately crouched down so she was staring her son straight in the eye, "You can't keep running off Christopher. It makes daddy and me worry."

"I sowwy," Chris repeated.

"Just, please, don't do it again?" she practically begged.

"Yes mommy," the boy agreed.

The mother nodded and stood up, extending her hand to Johnny. "Mister Storm, I'm so glad to see you up and about."

"It's Johnny," he insisted, shaking her hand, "and I hear Chris had something to do with that."

The boy's eyes widened even further, realizing he had not been the polite gentleman like his mother had taught him. "This my fam'ly Mister Torch. That my mom—"

"Lori," the woman whispered so as not to disrupt Chris' introductions.

"—and my dad—"

"Dan," the man said, shifting his younger son into his other arm so he could shake Johnny's hand. "Thank you so much for inviting us. My boys haven't talked about anything else for the last two days."

"—and that Jake," Chris continued, immune to his parent's interruptions. "He gots a cast too."

"Does he have a Fantastic Four band-aid on his cast? Cos I hear that does wonders for the healing process," Johnny asked Chris, his head tilted knowingly.

Jake nodded shyly and raised his arm so the Torch could see.

"I like," Johnny was saying when he saw a feminine hand approaching his face. He pulled back instinctively, only to realize it was Lori.

"I'm sorry, I was just noticing your bruises. Did you do that yourself?" she pointed to the splotchy layer of off-shade concealer coating the fading discoloration.

"Erhm, no?" he shot back, rubbing the back of his tuxedo sleeve against his face.

Lori gently caught his wrist. "You'll stain your suit. Sit down, Mister Storm—"

"Johnny," the Torch corrected again.

"—Johnny," she amended, motioning toward a nearby chair. "Hmmm, you're about the same skin tone as me," she said, pulling tubes of pale liquids and neat boxes of powders from her bag. "I'll get you patched up in no time."

"Please, Lori," Johnny begged, recognizing the objects as makeup. "I'll be—"

"This is your sister's special day, Johnny. I don't think she wants to remember it with you looking like you stopped at a fight club beforehand." She pointed at the chair.

Johnny considered her statement. "Sitting down," he agreed, gently lowering himself into the plastic seat.

"Now just hold still," she instructed, wielding brushes, funny looking foam-tipped thingies and spray cans. Her fingers and the instruments danced lightly over his healing black eye and bruised cheek, causing him no additional pain.

"You's all right Mister Torch?" Chris asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Johnny quickly replied. "I think…"

"Done," she announced. Unable to stop herself from first flattening his collar as she had done this morning for her three men, she produced a compact mirror from her pocket. "Have a look."

"You's look handsome, Mister Torch," Chris declared. And Johnny had to admit the boy was right. Lori had managed to minimize the vast color wheel dominating his face, making him look almost as good as usual.

"I don't think 'thank you' covers it," he stated.

She shook her head. "After what you did for us, this is nothing."

"Johnny!" the group turned to see Frankie heading toward them, chattering nonstop into the cell phone glued to her ear. "Yeah," they heard her say, "I found him. Yes, Sue, he's on his way."

She nodded once and snapped the phone closed. "The photographer needs you."

"Already?" Johnny whined, reluctantly standing. "We still have another hour before the wedding starts."

"Just go," Frankie lightly shoved him towards the archway.

"Wait," Johnny whirled around and turned back to the little boy. "I have something for you."

Chris' eyes went wide. "Like a present?"

"Exactly like a present," he reached into his tuxedo and pulled out a rectangle wrapped messily in brown paper.

Frankie snorted at the lumpy, unevenness of the package. "Hey," Johnny began defensively, "I didn't see you helping. This cast has a mind of its own."

"Sure, sure," Frankie pacified, gently patting Johnny's back. "Keep tellin' yourself that."

The two watched Chris make quick work of the wrapping. He tore the last piece away to reveal…

"A FANTASTIC FOUR COMIC BOOK!"

"Not just _a _Fantastic Four comic book," Johnny informed him, "that is the _unreleased _version of last week's events. It's not due to hit the store for another month. Plus," he reached down and flipped open the first page, "I had everyone sign it for you."

The boy stared at the pages without speaking.

"What do you say, Chris?" Lori prompted her son.

The wide blue eyes left the book and slowly rose until they reached Johnny's face.

"Wow."

Awestruck, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Johnny's legs.

"T'ank you," he said soberly.

Tired of watching this whole exchange, Jake wriggled in his father's arms until Dan put him on the ground. He then walked up to Johnny and, following his brother's lead, hugged the Storm.

"You're welcome," the Human Torch replied, bending down slightly and patting the two boys on the backs.

Soft music began sifting through the air prompting everyone to head toward the beautiful archway erected only feet away from the ocean.

"I guess that's our cue to let you go," Dan picked up Jake and reached his free hand for Lori's. She quickly dumped her makeup back into the suitcase and grabbed Chris' wrist.

"Say—" she began.

"Bye, Mister Torch." His free hand clutching his new comic book to his chest, Chris waved continuously, his brother doing the same, as the family walked away. "You's the bestest!"

"Well that was nice of you," Frankie commented.

"It's the least I could do. I hear from Ben that he really distracted Sue while I was…" he rocked his head back and forth as he struggled to come up with the word. "And you know, the other stuff."

"Yeah, I do," Frankie tucked her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Let's go Torch. Sue's waiting for ya."

As they walked towards the archway, Johnny reflected on his current situation.

Galactus was gone—Norrin too—though the silver dude had been starting to grow on Johnny, not that he would admit it to anyone; the planet was saved, at least until Reed underestimated the power of yet another experiment; his sister was getting married: yes, the marriage was to Reed but Johnny had already discussed how he was going to systematically dismember Reed if he broke Sue's heart so that wasn't really an issue anymore; he was battered and bruised but, due to his newfound healing rate, almost healthy again, which meant they could go back to the US as soon as the wedding was over; and, last but not least, he had a beautiful girl on his arm, one who had a head on her shoulders and who had learned to see past the dog-and-pony show Johnny put on to mask his true feelings.

So, yeah, he thought, if this were a comic book, I guess you could say, things were back to normal.

He winced as he heard glass shattering and saw Ben dancing out of a tent, frosting coating his index finger. In the background, he watched Reed's arm extend, snatching a camera from a younger man hiding behind some bushes and retracting to regular shape just seconds before the photographer snapped yet another picture and noticed Sue's concentration lapse briefly between shots, allowing the small healing cut on her forehead to come into view. Just out of the camera's range, volunteers scurried between trees, hanging bouquets of flowers and decorative ribbon, before the press could catch wind of this private affair.

_Well,_ Johnny reconsidered, staring at the chaotic scene surrounding them, _normal for us, at least._

* * *

**Thanks to all who read, reviewed, alerted or favorited **_**Stoking the Flame**_**. I had a blast switching fandoms even for such a short fic. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it!**

**I'd love to hear what you thought on your way out.**

**Always,**

**usa123**


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